CW Renews ‘The Originals’ and ‘iZombie’

Fans of The CW’s iZombie and The Originals can breathe a sigh of relief — the network has renewed both dramas for another season.

The Originals, the New Orleans-based spinoff of the recently ended The Vampire Diaries, will return for a fifth season. Created by Julie Plec, the supernatural series follows the “original” vampire clan, The Michaelsons, as they battle for control of New Orleans from centuries old rivals. The series stars Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies, Phoebe Tonkin and Charles Michael Davis.

Originals has been on the bubble since it was bumped to the midseason this year, after previously serving as a main part of the network’s programming. It’s move to Fridays has made it a low-rated but consistent performer.

The renewal of The Originals could cause problems for Morgan’s involvement in Fox’s X-Men drama The Gifted. Fox may be forced to recast the role.

As for DC Entertainment’s iZombie, the Rob Thomas produced dramedy will return for a fourth season. Starring Rose McIver, Malcolm Goodwin, Robert Buckley, Rahul Kohli and David Anders, it’s been a midseason player since its debut.

iZombie is one of the network’s lowest rated. It’s averaging less than one million viewers for Season 3, down 30% in the key demo and total viewers.

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Ryan White-Nobles

Ryan White-Nobles is Editor-in-Chief of TVSource Magazine. He's a natural #Heel who loves a spirited debate and probably watches too much TV. Follow him on Twitter at @SourceRyan to discuss all things TV, soaps, sports, wrestling and pop culture.